1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for controlling a display in a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device and method for controlling a display in a portable terminal having a touch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable terminal including a battery may also include a touch screen which has an integrated input and display functions by having a touch panel. Furthermore, the portable terminal may include button keys, such as a home key for moving to a home screen, an up/down key for controlling volume, a power key, a menu key, a cancel key, and other similar keys, buttons or input units on an external side of the portable terminal. Part of the above keys may be implemented by a touch button, and the touch button may be positioned at a variety of positions (e.g., the bottom of the main screen) which are different from the main screen (e.g., the display unit consisting of display devices), and the touch button may be displayed using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). The touch button is a key for controlling overall operation of the portable terminal, and generates an input for cancelling a currently operated application or returning back to a main menu.
Furthermore, the portable terminal may execute various applications, and input and display methods for controlling the execution of an application may vary according to the application. For example, when executing an application for transmitting a message, the portable terminal may display an input keypad on the display unit, may sense a position touched on the displayed input keypad, and may write a message via inputs to the displayed input keypad. In a case of executing a camera application, a key array for photographing is displayed on the display unit, and a key on a touched position of the key array is sensed and a camera function may be executed.
According to the related-art, a display method of a touch button applied to the portable terminal may maintain lighting of the touch button for a time period which has been set by a user or a time period which has been set at the time of development of the portable terminal However, in the case of the touch button, the touch button may not be used according to the currently executed application. That is, for example, in the case of a message writing mode, the input window is activated and the keypad is displayed, and in such a case, the user performs an input function using a keypad displayed on the main screen and the touch button is generally not used. Hence, when executing an application where an input window is activated, even if a touch button is not displayed, a user may not feel inconvenience.
However, in the related-art method, an LED lighting time of the touch button may be increased or a brightness may also be increased at any time without considering an improvement in electric current consumption according to a manufacturer's or a user's preference, and even in the case where there is no intention of using a touch button, when a screen is touched, the lighting of the LED may be maintained for a certain time period, thereby generating unnecessary current consumption and decreasing of battery charge for the portable terminal